Princess Bodyguard

by Sophie Thompson

  "I love your daughter, ma'am, and I'm not leaving her. If I learned anything, it is that. If she will still have me, I'm not going anywhere."

  The Queen's smile broadened. "Well, that is up to her. I learned a long time ago, Elizabeth makes her own decisions. She is a smart girl with good instincts and I trust she will make a choice that is best for her and her future."

  Callum felt his heart lurch. He knew he was not the best choice for Elizabeth's future. There would be a thousand other men better for her than him. And, if she were to choose one of them, then he would still be there for her. Callum told the Queen his plan.

  "I will be there for her however she will have me."

  The Queen patted his hand.

  "Well then I guess I will be seeing you later. The Prince and I will be back tomorrow to see her."

  "I will be here." Callum's voice was firm.

  Her smile became full and wide. Her eyes sparkled the same ways Elizabeth's did when she was overcome with joy. "Have the hospital ring us if there is any change."

  "Of course."

  The both stood and shook hands. The Prince came out of the room and joined them.

  The Prince looked exhausted. "Major." The men nodded heads in acknowledgment of each other. "The treaty is signed. We took my father back to his room after the ceremony, but he will be here tomorrow. We told the press that the Princess came down with the same flu and is recovering at the hospital. I have posted guards outside the hospital to keep the press at bay, as well as around the wing and at her door. I have personally vetted these guards. The rest of Victor's men are being rounded up now."

  Callum nodded his head. He trusted others to deal with making the palace safe. His only concern was inside the hospital room.

  "Right. Mother and I will be back tomorrow, and maybe my father is he is up to it."

  "I'll be here." Callum said with conviction.

  The Prince gave a brief smile then led his mother down the hall.

  Callum walked back in the room and resumed his place next to the Princess.

  Elizabeth could feel the tension in the air. Callum went silent. She wished she knew what he wanted her to do. If she made the wrong move, she could out him and his team, not to mention herself, in mortal danger. Her training had taught her the best thing she could do was be predictable. Stay where you were. Let the team make the moves. Don't be the surprise. When things started happening, she knew she needed to get out of the way as soon as possible.

  She thought she was prepared, but when the bang of the exposition when off at the door and a shot came in through the window over the kitchen sink, she heard herself scream. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone jump the window frame and come toward her. She knew it was Callum even though he was a blur. Smoke filled the room. Men shouted orders at each other. She felt Victor's hand release her arm and she dropped down to the ground. Gunfire erupted, but she kept her head pinned down on the floor as she body crawled her way toward the hallway.

  A heavy weight fell down on her and she screamed.

  "Shhh. It’s me. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Callum covered her with his body as he spoke in her ear. She felt his hot breath on her face and wanted to weep in relief. Her head felt light as an almost uncontrollable urge for her to close her eyes and sleep came over her.

  He must have sensed the change in her. "You're in shock, baby. Stay with me. Listen to my words. You are going to get on the balls of your feet, but stay down. When I say go, you and I are going to sprint down that hallway. Just follow me. I'm not going to leave you."

  Elizabeth could barely hear him over the gunshots and shouting, but she nodded her head. She would follow wherever he led.

  "Now." His arms held her on either side and his body hovered over hers. They both run as fast as they could in the crouched position. She felt pressure on her side and made a left when he turned into another room. A picture of him leading her on the dance floor using a similar pressure on the small of her back as he effortlessly guided her flashed through her mind.

  Before she knew it, a door in front of them opened and they were outside. He would not let her slow down until they were deep into the forest that surrounded the cabin. He released her and in one swift move pulled his gun and swept the area around them.

  "The Princess and I are clear."

  She heard the words but had no idea who he was talking to.

  She sat on the ground and looked up at him as he knelt down in front of her.

  He cupped his hands on either side of her face. He said words to her, but she did not hear anything but silence. She panicked. He breathing came quickly and the forest floor began to spin beneath of her. He kissed her and gave her a little shake.

  "Hold on, love. Hold on." He rubbed her arms only stopping when she winced. He let out a curse when he saw the bruising. "Elizabeth, sweetheart, look at me. Look at him. That's it."

  Slowly his blurry features became clear and the world stopped spinning. "It’s over. You're safe. Just hang on and we will get you out of here."

  "The Princess is going into shock. I'm heading to the chopper."

  What was moving in fast-forward had slowed down. Her mind and movements felt like she was trapped underwater. She gasped for air. She saw the look of concern on Callum's face when he looked at her. She looked at him and saw blood over his face and hands. She reached up and touched her own face. Her hand was covered with blood and other things when she pulled it away. Was it hers? Watson's? Callum's? The world started spin again.

  "We're moving now."

  The last thing she felt before she blacked out was Callum's arms around her as he picked her up and cradled her against his body.

  Elizabeth felt like she had just come out of the spin cycle of the washing machine. He head hurt and she felt groggy. Her eyelids seemed like they had weight attached to them and she had to force them open. Her consciousness was greeted my beeps and clacks of machines. She tried to move her neck, but it was stiff like it had been soldered into place. She looked out of the large picture windows. The sunset turned the clouds to a rainbow of oranges, purples, and pinks. She took a deep breath thankful she lived to see another day.

  It took her a few more seconds to realize she was in a hospital room. Memories of Watson and Victor and the rescue at the cabin came flooded her mind and her pulse quickened. She refused on the white walls and machines around her. She was safe. Her eyes slide down to the side of the bed and she saw Callum.

  His large frame stiffed into a small chair angled to face her bed. His head titled back and his long legs stretched out in front of him. He looked completely uncomfortable. One arm was stretch out toward her bed and the other rested on his stomach. She followed the arm and saw that his hand had hers in a firm grip. Her heart skipped a beat.

  He was here. He was here with her. He had not run or taken the opportunity to leave. He stayed. That had to have meant something. But her excitement only lasted a second before she remembered the promise she had mad while Victor held a gun to her head. If they got out alive, she would not hold him. She would let him go. Tears threatened, but she held them at bay. She needed to look strong for him. She did not want to make him feel like he had to stay. He stayed with her and that as more than she had hoped for. Now, she had to be strong for him and let him go.

  The hospital door swung open. Callum shot up as if a bolt of electricity had surged though him. His hand squeezed hers. His sleep filled eyes focused on the door then on her then back to the door. Sophie stood at the door and smiled.

  "I'm glad I come in peace. You look like you are ready to tear something apart, Major." Sophie's eyes slid over her as she smiled back at her friend. Her cheeks hurt. "Aye. You have quite a shiner on your cheek. But it looks a site better than it did two days ago. Let's check that heart of yours. It’s so strong, you sent off alarm bells at the nurses' station."

  Callum moved out of the chair and was at Elizabeth's side in an instant. He peered down at her, ignoring everyone else in
the room as they checked her monitors and vitals.

  "Elizabeth." He used his other hand to brush hair off of her forehead. "You're awake."

  "I gather." A dry cough wracked her body. Sophie pressed a button and Elizabeth's bed angled itself into more of a sitting position. Callum handed her a glass of water which she drank down in slow sips before she tried to speak again. Both Sophie and Callum waited patiently and gave her a look as if they were afraid she might break.

  "Sorry. My throat is so dry."

  Callum went to refill her water cup and handed her back a full cup. His expression was unlike one she had ever seen on his face. It unnerved her a bit. He looked like a man in love. There were no walls or shield up. His every emotion - relief, regret, exhaustion, and - she raked her eyes over him again to be sure - and love - were written on his face for anyone to see. It was too weird. Maybe she was worse off than she thought. Elizabeth turned to Sophie.

  "So, what's the prognosis, doc?"

  Sophie straightened up from leaning over Elizabeth's chest with her stethoscope. She waved a pen right in her eyes then clicked it off and placed it in her pocket.

  "Well, obviously, we will need to do an EKG and run some other tests. But, you seem well enough to me. Most people in your case return to normal in just a few days with no damage to the heart."

  "What happened?" Elizabeth asked.

  Sophie looked to Elizabeth then to Callum then back to Elizabeth. "Clinically it’s called cardiomyopathy, but in layman's terms, it’s called the broken heart disease."

  Elizabeth gave her friend a look that said 'don't go there.' Sophie just shrugged her shoulders and headed for the door.

  "I'm going to ring you up a light dinner for both of you and call your family. I would say you have about fifteen minutes of privacy." With that Sophie winked and walked out. The door swung closed behind her.

  Elizabeth looked up at Callum and told herself to be strong. Be cool.

  He wore a polo and khakis. Besides looking tired, he looked gorgeous to her. His ebony hair was mused from sleep and his steel grey eyes sparkled down at her. Besides that kinda sappy, very non-Callum look her wore on his face, he was a sight for sore eyes.

  "How are you feeling?" He asked in a soft voice as he brushed her foreheads. His thumb moved up and down over her hand in a light caress.

  "A little out of it, but I'll be fine." She tried to move her hand from his put her held on to it.

  "Hungry?"

  "A little." The way he looked down at her made her want things she knew she could not have. She changed the subject to business hoping to refocus both of them.

  "So what happened after I passed out?"

  "We rushed you here via a helicopter. You were unconscious for two days. You had us all worried sick. I'm so happy to see those beautiful eyes again.

  "Yeah. Okay. So, what happened to Victor? Is your team okay. Oh, I just remembered Cal. Is he okay?"

  He chuckled and smiled down at her. Her eyes darted around the room. Did she wake up in an alternate universe? One where Callum smiled and laughed. Oh boy, letting him go was getting harder to do by the minute.

  "Yes, everyone is okay. Cal is fine. He's just a few doors down from you recovering. Everyone else took a little beating, but is okay. We're all just worried about you." He grinned down at her again.

  "And, Victor?" She needed to know.

  The grin disappeared from Callum's face. The steel of his eyes turned hard. "Victor will not be bothering you again."

  "What about Argent."

  "Edward came by yesterday and said they found the recipe book among Victor's thinks. Just as you had said. And a few additional vials. The team also found two more vials of Argent in Watson's apartments along with some other things I will not go in to. Let's just say, he was a very sick man."

  Elizabeth swallowed and focused on the sunset behind Callum. The colors had turned deeper and a midnight blue hugged the horizon.

  "I can't believe I came so close to marrying him. And, Victor. I considered him my friend. It will be hard to trust anyone again."

  "I know, but you have to try. Your belief that everyone is good is just one of the things I love about you. Don't let those two monsters take that away from you."

  Her eyes locked on to his. She was sure he did not hear him correctly. Her hearing must still be messed up from the explosions. He grinned again.

  His pad of his thumb smoothed the furrowed lines in-between her eyebrows. "I love the way you get these little line between you eyebrows when you can't figure something out."

  She ignored the L-word and tried not to notice that he used it twice. "Am I concussed?"

  He chucked again and her paused raced. "Nope. Now that you're awake and you heart is beating in a normal rhythm you are all better. Just like the doctor said."

  "Then why are you acting weird."

  "Weird?"

  "Yeah, weird." She pulled her hand from his and crossed her arms as best she could with the tubes and tape that hung from her. "Like you said, I'm all better now. You can go. I'm sure you have another mission to get to."

  He perched himself on the side of the bed. The smile still plastered on his face. He leaned forward and rested his hands on either side of her head. She was boxed in by the man. His face was close enough to her that she felt his heat.

  "I'm already there." He crooned.

  "Already where? Callum, please just go. It is hard enough to say good-bye without you acting all, you know."

  "I don't know." He leaned in closer.

  "Stop acting like you love me, okay. Just go back to you brooding self. What happened was not your fault. It just happened okay. I don't want you staying with me and turning on this little act of your just because you feel some sort of guilt or regret. You're a hero. You're awesome. Take the golden get out of jail free card and go. Please." She tried to stay strong till the end. But even she heard her voice give away a bit at the end. She turned away from him. She lacked the courage to look at him anymore.

  "I do take responsibility for what happened, but as someone wise told me we can't live focusing on regrets." He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and gentle pulled her so her eyes locked with his. "And, that is what I plan to do. Live."

  She swallowed hard. All she could do was imagine the pain she would feel when he decided to go. And, he would decide to go eventually. "And, there are those little lines again. Stop thinking, Elli."

  He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. It started gentle, but as soon as she kissed him back, he deepened the kiss as if he wanted to show her how much he cared. He pulled back and smiled down at her again.

  "I'm not going anywhere, Elli. As soon as you are well enough, I plan to ask you to marry me."

  She felt her eyes open wide in shock.

  "I love you Princess Elizabeth Astoria. I am yours for better or worse. I always have been. It just took this soldier a little time to figure everything out."

  Her lips rose in a smile. She tried to stay strong, to hold back, but his words were a salve to her heart. She loved this man from the moment she met him on that dirt road in the mountains of Honduras and she would love him until the day she died.

  "So, what's your next mission?" She asked preparing herself.

  "You. You're my only mission. If you want me, I'll be right beside you. If you don’t I'll be right behind you or wherever you want me. I'm not going anywhere."

  She opened her heart and let in the joy. He must have seen it, because he bent down and kissed her again.

  Once they separated, she said. "I do have an opening for a bodyguard."

  He wiggled his eyebrows. "I don't have some experience in that area."

  "You do? Well, that's good, because I have had some difficulty in the past with my bodyguards."

  "Really?" He feigned and leaned in for another kiss. "Do tell?"

  "Well, one left me. Twice."

  "Ouch." He winced as he continued to lean toward her.

  "And the oth
er tried to kill me."

  "Well, that's not good. Kind of goes against the job description." He whispered only inches from her face.

  "I think so." She said just as his lips hovered over hers "I love you, Callum Evans. Don't you dare leave me again."

  "I would not dream of it, Your Highness."

  He kissed her in a way that told her that the last of the walls around his heart were gone. Finally, Elizabeth tilted her head and kissed him back with her whole heart knowing he was ready to accept it.